1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel compounds having utility as carburetor detergents, antirust and anti-icing agents in motor fuels.
As is well-known, motor fuels are highly refined products but despite such refining they still contain minor amounts of impurities and water which can cause corrosion in the fuel tank, fuel lines and carburetor of a motor vehicle. In cold latitudes, water in the fuel can form ice and thereby interfere with proper operation of a vehicle. Accordingly, commercial motor fuel compositions contain corrosion inhibitors, antirust agents and where needed, anti-icing agents. Naturally, the economics of providing such fuel are improved if a single multipurpose additive can provide these functions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Certain N-alkyl-alkylene diamine compounds, as represented by N-oleyl-1,3-diaminopropane, are known to give carburetor detergency properties to gasoline. These additives, however, do not impart corrosion inhibiting or deicing properties to gasoline. As a result, a motor fuel containing only an N-alkyl-alkylene diamine must be modified or formulated with an additional additive in order to have the necessary corrosion inhibiting properties for marketability.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,479 discloses a motor fuel composition containing an alkyl-substituted asparagine having the formula: ##STR2## in which R and R' each represent secondary or tertiary alkyl radicals having from 7 to 20 carbon atoms. The corresponding compounds in which R and R' are straight chain radicals are too insoluble in gasoline to be effective as additives.
Coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,079 describes primary alkyl-alkylene-substituted asparagines produced by reacting about two moles of an N-primary alkyl-alkylene diamine with a mole of maleic anhydride to produce a compound characterized by having a plurality of amino groups in an essentially straight chain primary alkyl hydrocarbon radical which exhibit corrosion inhibiting properties and carburetor detergency properties when employed in gasoline.
The present compounds constitute an improvement thereover in that they deliver equivalent detergency and antirust properties at material costs which are up to 50 percent less and additionally impart deicing properties to the fuels.